X-Virus-Scanned: clean according to Sophos on Logan.com Return-Path: Received: from [129.116.87.143] (HELO MAIL01.austin.utexas.edu) by logan.com (CommuniGate Pro SMTP 5.0.9) with ESMTP id 1098901 for flyrotary@lancaironline.net; Wed, 10 May 2006 08:54:14 -0400 Received-SPF: none receiver=logan.com; client-ip=129.116.87.143; envelope-from=mark.steitle@austin.utexas.edu X-MimeOLE: Produced By Microsoft Exchange V6.5 Content-class: urn:content-classes:message MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: multipart/alternative; boundary="----_=_NextPart_001_01C67430.BC88BCD2" Subject: FW: [LML] FBO Gouging Date: Wed, 10 May 2006 07:53:29 -0500 Message-ID: <87DBA06C9A5CB84B80439BA09D86E69E048B7156@MAIL01.austin.utexas.edu> X-MS-Has-Attach: X-MS-TNEF-Correlator: Thread-Topic: [LML] FBO Gouging Thread-Index: AcZ0LX4j421HY+nlSEKOPdoMpOLliwAAxIKA From: "Mark R Steitle" To: , "Rotary motors in aircraft" This is a multi-part message in MIME format. ------_=_NextPart_001_01C67430.BC88BCD2 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable Not rotary, but worth passing along anyway. =20 =20 ________________________________ From: Lancair Mailing List [mailto:lml@lancaironline.net] On Behalf Of Stuart Seffern Sent: Wednesday, May 10, 2006 7:29 AM To: Lancair Mailing List Subject: [LML] FBO Gouging =20 Warning! =20 I flew with a friend to the Kentucky Derby on Friday to KSDF and blew a left main tire tube half way down the runway on landing. I called Atlantic Aviation, the only FBO on the field, a week before to ask about costs saying we were coming in for the Derby weekend. They said there were no landing fees if you buy gas and only a $5/night tie down. They also had free crew cars! Great!=20 =20 It took 1 hour to arrive and tow us off the runway by using a hand dolly under the tire and the tug tied onto our tow bar because they did not have the correct adaptor. Atlantic then wanted to charge me $200 for the tow, without asking first. There were no tie downs. We could have easily walked the airplane off the runway with the small hand wheel dolly. Then they wanted $500 for their maintenance shop just to take a look at it plus $75/hour to pull the tire, replace the inner tube and reinstall the tire. Remember, Atlantic has no competition on the airport. =20 Wait, it gets better! I respectfully declined Atlantic Aviation's $800+ offer, and took the tire to the auto parts store where I replaced the tube for 10 dollars, plus a 10 dollar tip to Eric, the counter guy who let me use his work bench and tools for free. I then found a gas station and filled the tire to what the gage said was 45 psi and reinstalled the tire on the airplane with two friends lifting up on the wing with their backs, no jack! =20 When the airplane was lowered the tire looked a bit flat so I checked the pressure and found the actual pressure was 30 psi! I then walked over to Maintenance... five guys who were doing nothing but standing around. I politely asked if they had a portable air tank because I needed just about 10 pounds of pressure in order to safely take off. They went into conference for ten minutes while Jim and I stood there and then emerged to say that they would "sell me the air" for $150! =20 =20 So, It was back to the auto parts store to buy a $30 air tank, and the gas station for air. =20 =20 Now we needed gas.... =20 6.25/gal for 100LL!!... Also respectfully declined, at this point not wanting to give them my credit card number. We would stop on the way home if necessary! =20 =20 Also, no free crew car or even a shuttle ride the 3 miles to the Churchill Downs. A Hertz Rental cost us $271.56 for a 27 hour rental with the AOPA Discount! (Glad I bet that $2 on Barbarao to win the Derby!) =20 Of course there is no recourse except telling this story. It is the best "Consumer Protection" we have! Repost this wherever you like. =20 Buyer Beware! Atlantic Aviation's FBO at KSDF is the worst case of gouging I have seen in 30 years of flying! =20 =20 Thank god for experimentals that we can repair ourselves! =20 =20 Regards, =20 Stu Seffern www.Lantzairflyers.com sseffern@yahoo.com =20 ------_=_NextPart_001_01C67430.BC88BCD2 Content-Type: text/html; charset="us-ascii" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable

Not rotary, but worth passing along anyway. 

 


From: = Lancair Mailing List [mailto:lml@lancaironline.net] On Behalf Of Stuart Seffern
Sent: Wednesday, May 10, = 2006 7:29 AM
To: Lancair Mailing = List
Subject: [LML] FBO = Gouging

 

Warning!

 

I flew with a friend to the Kentucky Derby on Friday = to KSDF and blew a left main tire tube half way down the runway on = landing.  I called Atlantic Aviation, the only FBO on the field, a week before to = ask about costs saying we were coming in for the Derby weekend.  They said there were no landing fees if you buy gas and = only a $5/night tie down.  They also had free crew cars!  Great! =

 

It took 1 hour to arrive and tow us off the = runway by using a hand dolly under the tire and the tug tied onto our tow bar = because they did not have the correct adaptor.  Atlantic then wanted to charge me $200 for the tow, without asking first.  There were no tie downs.   We could have = easily walked the airplane off the runway with the small hand wheel = dolly.  Then they wanted $500 for their maintenance shop just to take a look at it plus $75/hour to pull the tire, replace the inner tube and = reinstall the tire.  Remember, Atlantic = has no competition on the airport.

 

Wait, it gets better!  I respectfully declined = Atlantic Aviation's $800+ offer, and took the tire to the auto = parts store where I replaced the tube for 10 dollars, plus a 10 dollar tip to = Eric, the counter guy who let me use his work bench and tools for free.  = I then found a gas station and filled the tire to what the gage said = was 45 psi and reinstalled the tire on the airplane with two friends lifting up = on the wing with their backs, no jack!

 

When the airplane was lowered the tire looked a bit = flat so I checked the pressure and found the actual pressure was 30 psi!  I = then walked over to Maintenance... five guys who were doing nothing but = standing around.   I politely asked if they had a portable air = tank because I needed just about 10 pounds of pressure in order to safely = take off.  They went into conference for ten minutes while Jim = and I stood there and then emerged to say that they would "sell me = the air" for $150! 

 

So, It was back to the auto parts store to = buy a $30 air tank, and the gas station for = air.  

 

Now we needed gas....

 

6.25/gal for 100LL!!...   Also respectfully declined, at this point not wanting to give them my credit card = number.  We would stop on the way home if = necessary!   

 

Also, no free crew car or even a shuttle ride = the 3 miles to the Churchill Downs.  A Hertz Rental cost us $271.56 for a = 27 hour rental with the AOPA Discount!  (Glad I bet that $2 on Barbarao to win the Derby!)

 

Of course there is no recourse except = telling this story.  It is the best "Consumer Protection" we have!  Repost this wherever you like.

 

Buyer Beware!  Atlantic Aviation's FBO at KSDF = is the worst case of gouging I have seen in 30 years of flying!  =

 

Thank god for experimentals that we can repair = ourselves!

 

 

Regards,

 

Stu Seffern

 

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